But when he got his bill he noticed the tab was paid and that there was a note on the receipt that said, “I got your #6. #Blue Lives Matter.” — “I got your #6” is military jargon that means “I’ve got your back.”

“I asked the waitress when she dropped off the bill who paid for the meal. And she just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, and she wouldn’t tell me,” Heap told Fox & Friends.“I don’t think it had anything with me being a sheriff, it had to do with the uniform.”

The gesture comes amid growing national anti-police rhetoric spearheaded by the Black Lives Matter movement, which advocates for police violence.

Heap said he's seen an overwhelming show of support for local police that includes people installing blue lights on front porches, putting blue tape on cars and sending a flood of thank you cards and cookies to police stations.

After receiving his free lunch, Heap posted a message on the Elbert County Sheriff’s official Facebook page, writing, “Made my day, made my week, made my month. Thank you!! So very proud to serve.”

He also included the hashtag: #bluelivesmatter.

While he was grateful for the community efforts, he said he was frustrated that leaders in Washington weren't more publicly supportive.

“We haven’t heard a lot from the White House or the President on law enforcement being attacked brutally across this country on such a regular basis. And the community is stepping up and they’re commenting on it.”